Cycle driving-gear.



No. 713,867. PatentadNov. I8, 1902.

J. B. FORSTEB.

CYCLE DRIVING GEAR.

( Application filed. June 26 1902.)

(No Model.)

mm M:

UNrrEn STATES rnr FFrcE.

JOHN BURNIP FORSTER, OF BELFAST, IRELAND.

CYCLE DRIVING-GEAR.

SPECIFICATIONforming part of Letters Patent No. 713,867, dated November18,1902.

Application filed June 26,1902.

T0 alt whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN BURNIP FORSTER, a subject of the King of GreatBritain and Ireland, and a resident of Belfast, Ireland,-

have invented certain new and useful Improvement-s in CycleDriving-Gear,(for which I have filed an application for British patent,No. 19,205, dated September 26, 1901;) and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

This invention relates to an improved arrangement oftreadle-driven-cycle drivinggear designed to avoid the disadvantagesincidental to crank-and-chain-driven cycles and adapted to enable thecyclist to exert a continuous application of power and a more directpropelling action than is attainable with crank-and-chain-driven gearwith am ore convenient motion and more powerful action and to have hisfeet forward when free-wheeling and to exert more or less power at willby varying the forward position of the feet along the treadles.

On the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a side elevation ofpart of a bicycle, showing theimproved gearing in position, with onetreadle in its normal raised position and the other treadle in itsdepressed position. Fig. 2 represents a plan of Fig. 1. Figs. 3 and 4represent side and plan views,,respectively, of the rear portion of thecycle, showing certain parts hereinafter described.

a is a cycle-frame, at each side of which a treadle-lever Z) is centeredon a pivot e, secured at any convenient point along the driving-wheelstays cl. Each treadle is provided at its fore end with a foot-plate efor depression by the cyclist and at its rear end, which may be arrangedwithin or without the stays d, with a toothed sector f. The sectors f,respectively, engage with one of a pair of sprocket free wheels g,mounted on the driving-wheel hub h, one on each side thereof, free torotate thereon in a backward direction, but adapted to engage therewithand actuate the same when driven in a forward direction by thedepression of the treadles. The sectors are maintained in constantengagement with the sprocket-wheels by the motion of theirsupporting-levers being limited by the driving-wl1eel axle or any otherSerial No, 113,242. (No model.)

convenient stop. After each depression of the treadle-lever by the footit is raised to its normal position ready for renewed actuation. Thismay be effected by the counterweight of the sector end of thetreadlelever or by the foot by means of toe-clips j, applied to thefoot-plates c, Fig. 1, or in connection with the same by means offlexible attachments m, connecting the sectors to pulleys a, fast on anaxle o, passing through the driving-wheel hub, Figs. 3 and 4:, so thatthe depression of each lever causes the raising of the other, orautomatically by springs 19, connecting the respective levers with thecycle-frame, which may be used in connection with the pulleys n. By suchmechanism the power exerted on the treadles by the cyclist istransferred by the sectors to the sprocket-wheels on the driving -wheelhub directly and without loss of leverage, and during the return motionof the treadles the sprocket-wheels run back free on the driving- Wheelhub. Thus the full amount of power exerted on the treadles by thecyclist, less only the loss due to friction, is utilized in propellingthe cycle, whereby the cyclist is enabled to exert his power to the bestadvantage. The said driving mechanism also permits in addition to saidadvantage of the cycle being used as a free wheel for coasting runs,during which the feet may be set in a sitting position supported by thetreadles, and of the power exerted being increased or diminished at willupon shifting the feet more or less forward on the treadle-levers.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

In combination with a cycle-frame and a driving-wheel mounted therein, apair of treadles arranged one at each side of the driving-wheel andcentered, between their ends, on a pivot supported by theframe, andhaving a foot-plate at its fore end and a toothed for preventing thedisengagement of the sectors from the sprocket-wheels, and an axledepression of the foot, as set forth. passingthroughthedriving-wheelaxle, apair In testimony whereof I have signed this of pulleys on thethrough-axle one at each l specification in the presence of twosubscribside of the driving-Wheel and a flexible coning Witnesses.

treadles to their normal position, after each :0

nection from each pulley to the top side of JOHN BURNIP FORSTER. I thesector at the same side of the driving- Witnesses:

ELIZABETH MURPHY.

Wheel, the two connections rising from differ- JANE ELIZABETH FORSTER,ent sides of the two pulleys for returning the

